Nairy Baghramian and Phyllida Barlow

We liked this at the Serpentine Gallery.

RCA Show 1

David Orme

Caroline Holt


Darren Harvey Regan



Seen at RCA Show 1.

Spencer Bewley

We saw, and loved, Hope Sandoval last night at beautiful Bush Hall. We especially loved the projections by Spencer Bewley, a projection artist who works with 'found and prepared 16mm films' which he overlays over one another using multiple projectors, slowed down, sometimes with colour filters. It made us think of Kenneth Anger, or even Derek Jarman, and the work he did providing super 8 backdrops for shows in the late 80s. Photos by Luz Gallardo and Voss

GO GO GO....

We like the wickedly wonderful, Eastern European, gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello. We saw them for the second time last Friday at Hammersmith Apollo and what a night it was. Our wee feet barely touched the floor all night as we were swept away with the wild rumpus of beer, enraged fiddle playing and raucous tunes. These fine fellows really know how to put on a spectacular show, no one in the room was having a better time than the insanely animated band. We emerged beer sodden, exhausted, rosy cheeked, hearts bursting with adrenalin having danced with wild abandon and hollered like baying wolves along to the music. Front man Eugene has described the band as "an orchestra of fucking immigrants" and wow what an orchestra they are, relentless, visceral music makers who gave their heart and soul, sweat and tears to the audience. Heres to next time!

No Soul For Sale at Tate Modern

More details here of the Tate's weekend festival of independent arts in the Turbine Hall, to celebrate their 10th birthday.

Oxfam at Selfridges?

The Oxfam Curiosity Shoppe opened its doors today at Selfridges, to big queues we're told, full of shoppers eager for a one-of-a-kind Oxfam bargain. Big names including Annie Lennox have donated some of their personal belongings to the sale, which Oxfam hopes as ever will fund their continuing fight against poverty in Africa. Nice to see a little social conscience at work. And well done Selfridges, luring in the shoppers who might not otherwise set foot in an Oxfam! We eyed some lovely books (Turkish Self Taught Conversational Grammar, for those trips to the barber), Bob Dylan records, and a lovely set of jugs, if you must know. Shoppe open until May 20.

Ping Pong with Ron Arad

We had the great pleasure of going to the Barbican last night to see a Ron Arad take on his fans. His Restless retrospective exhibition spilled over into the world of sport as many amateurs and at least one professional ping pong player gathered to play on some pretty out there tables - one bowed mirrored one, another with a bookshelf marking the net line... and as for the bats - solid steel ones that weighed a ton in the shape of Hawaii and Alaska, ones made out of volumes of Kafka, and lovely ones with LED lights inset that spelled PING PONG when you waved them in a vaguely menacing fashion at your opponent. All played with lovely BLACK ping pong balls - classy. The bats were made by Troika, and it was one of their friends who told us about this quite bizarre but actually incredibly friendly and hight spirited night - you could have heard a pin drop during the final between Ron and Xu - the pro player who worked here way to the final. Ron won in the end, I don't think he could believe it himself. Game set and match, the Barbican.


This bat was super heavy. Shaped like either Hawaii or Alaska - one day we'll find out which...

Goodness Greatness / Noreen Khan

Goodness Greatness / Noreen Khan

Nous Vous Two

We finally got our act together to take a photo of our beautiful new Dark Energy print from Nous Vous.


Beautiful isn't it? And a good excuse to publish a photo of the cute Nous Vous boys too.

Awww.

Louise Riley at Dalston Superstore

We saw and liked the show just opened at Dalston Superstore by Louise Riley. Beautiful embroidered found mattresses and pillows. We were particularly captivated by the installation in the superstore basement. There's something incredibly warm and vulnerable about these portraits - the almost frantic style of the embroidery seemed to trace the eyes movement over the body. Certainly something we wouldn't mind waking up next to anyway. A ha ha. Thanks to Alex Noble for turning us on to this one.

Nous Vous

We like Nous Vous, a lovely bunch of boys from Leeds and around, who were down at the Pick Me Up! graphic art fair at Somerset House this weekend. We wound up with a beautiful print of theirs called 'Dark Energy' by Jay Cover. One of our favourite songs came on while we were buying it which we took as a good omen - it'll look great over the mantel. Thanks, Nous Vous!